Israel’s Public Relations War

What the heck is happening in Israel/Palestine? Why has the conflict been going on for seven decades with no resolution in sight?

The Peace and Social Justice Committee invites you to watch and discuss Occupation of the American Mind: Israel’s Public Relations War in the United States, screening Sunday, September 9, at 7:30 pm in the sanctuary—after Second Sunday Supper. We are fortunate to have Estee Chandler introduce the documentary and lead a question and answer period. Estee is the Jewish American daughter of an Israeli father and an American mother. She launched a Los Angeles chapter of Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) in 2010 and was recently elected to its National Board of Directors. She is the co-host of the weekly KPFK radio show Middle East in Focus.

According to Robert Jensen, Professor of Journalism at the University of Texas at Austin, “In the conflict over the land of Palestine, Israel’s overpowering military superiority has produced decisive battlefield victories. But just as crucial to Israeli dominance in that region is its supremacy in the U.S. news media… The film’s analysis is crucial to understanding why—given the longstanding international consensus for a peaceful settlement that would give both Israelis and Palestinians a secure national homeland—the conflict drags on in its seventh decade. Whatever one’s position on how to resolve the conflict, it is uncontroversial that Israel could not continue occupying Palestinian territory without U.S. diplomatic, military, and economic support, and it’s unlikely that support could continue without the backing—or, at least, acquiescence—of the U.S. public.”

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